HR: 0830h
AN: SH11A-05    [Abstracts]
TI: Exploring Magnetism: Bringing The Sun-Earth Connection into the Classroom via Basic Science
AU: * Mendez, B J
EM: bmendez@ssl.berkele.edu
AF: UC Berkeley, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA 94720 United States
AU: Peticolas, L M
EM: laura@ssl.berkeley.edu
AF: UC Berkeley, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA 94720 United States
AU: Craig, N
EM: ncraig@ssl.berkeley.edu
AF: UC Berkeley, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA 94720 United States
AU: Holman, G
EM: holman@stars.gsfc.nasa.gov
AF: Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 682, Greenbelt, MD 20771 United States
AB: The E/PO programs of NASA missions often face the challenge of making complex science investigations relevant for the classroom. Magnetism is one of the basic topics taught in classrooms throughout the nation. It also has profound importance within a great variety of astrophysical systems. We have used the topic of magnetism to form the basis of a series of teacher's lesson guides that connect the basic science concepts to the more complex systems being studied by scientists today. These guides use hands-on, inquiry based activities to teach concepts of magnetism for students of grades 6-9. The primary guide, Exploring Magnetism, examines the fundamental properties of magnetism and electromagnetism. Supplemental guides teach about current NASA investigations by connecting the basic science to the science being studied by these space missions. Currently, there are two supplemental guides: Exploring Magnetism in the Solar Wind, which explores how the STEREO mission uses a spacecraft boom to measure the magnetic field of the solar wind free from contamination of the spacecraft itself; and Exploring Magnetism in Solar Flares, which uses RHESSI observations to demonstrate how rapidly changing magnetic fields can unleash enormous amounts of energy.
UR: http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/ExploringMagnetism
DE: 0800 EDUCATION
DE: 0805 Elementary and secondary education
DE: 0820 Curriculum and laboratory design
DE: 0825 Teaching methods
DE: 0925 Magnetic and electrical methods
SC: SPA-Solar and Heliospheric Physics [SH]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly